Electric conductor



April 24, 1928.

J. R. COE

ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR Filed July 1924 INVENTOR J AM E5 R. C 06.

BY /%M ATTORNEY,

Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

- "UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

JAMES ROBERT ODE, OF WATERTOWN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN"BRASS COMPANY, OF WATERBUR-Y, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTI-iil ii i'nveriti 'on ielates to electric power transmission conductors,and has special reference tof'aferial electric conductors that are I'l.:.3 particularly adapted for high tension transl l \lSl0 I 1 Conductorsof this type are usually iriii'ided with a core, and with one or morelay crs wire cabled or spirally wound sid'eb e-uponthe core. In cablesof this type; at' present' general Commercial use, a soliil 'coreofc'opper or other conducting netalfis employed. but it, has been foundbecaii's flollthegsma-ll diameter of the conductor necessary fora gi\'en'amperage, when a core of thiscliarac'tei is employed, that at gh v"l tage tlig'ere b'ccurs a substantial leakfago-of enigy-tromftheconductor due to "is i-know 'i the corona effect. Thisggrgnagifegt.decreasesias the d ametenof tne ,cond 'ctor mncrtea 'eAccordingly, it hasbeen 'prot'iosed to, make ,the core of hollow (-onstructiomso jitop'e'rmit the stranded conductor'to be made of considerablygreater diameter than such conductors provided with a solid conductingcore for the same resistance per unit of length. Such hollow cores,however, have various objections which are overcome by my improvedconstruction.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved electrical conductor of the character indicated which has allof the advantages of the prior constructions. as above described. whiledoing away with the disadvantages.

The following is a description of a preferred embodiment of myinvention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. in which,

Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a portion of a stranded aerial conductorembodying mv invention, portions of the spirally wound wires at one endbeing indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical view illustrating the relative positions ofthe component parts of the core of the stranded conductor when theconductor is bent;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing a moditied form of core, the wirescabled about the core being shown diagrammatically; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5, of Fig. 4.

The electric conductor illustrated in Figs.

ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR.-

Application filed July so, 1924. Serial so. 728,998.

1,'2and 3 of the drawings is provided with a core comprising'a pluralityof short barrelshaped blocks .2 arranged end to end, a layer ofsolidwires '4 cabled "about the core in. one direction side by side so"as to contact with each ithei'fand'a second layer of solid wires 6cabled side by'side about th'e' core in the 0p- .posite direction." Theblocks 2 are-preferablyinade of'wood,'biit may also'be made of .gla'ss,porcelain f or other suitable material. When made 'O fLviood they affords'ufiicient support and 'iiie'relzitivfely light' in weight.Each'fi'n'e'mbe'r 'has asubstantial cylindrical su'rfac'e 'which" is=ci1rvedlongitutdiiia'lly -in an":a rc having its center in a plan's at"right angle to the axis of the memberandmidwayof its ends',thelength-of the radiuslof the arc'efiec'ting 'to 'some extent thedegree of flexibility 'of the com 'leted gcdnductor, as will behereinafter described; A six inch radius is 'siiitablformbstpurposeswhere the'blocks' 'are' five eigh'ths of an inch in diameter. The endsof the blocks 2 are chamfered or rounded to provide tapering endsurfaces 8. The wires 4 and (3 are made of copper, bronze, aluminum orother metal of high electrical conductivity, and when of cupreousmaterial are preferably hard drawn.

lVith this construction of conductor it will be apparent that it may bemade of any desired diameter for a given high voltage, so as to reduceto a minimum the corona leakage; and at the same time it is of lightweight, low cost, and has a much less tendency to crushing or distortionthan conductors having a tubular hollow core. It will also be apparentthat by constructing the blocks 2, as above described, the completedconductor will be of the desired degree of flexibility, and the slightlongitudinal curvature of the blocks provides an effective support atrelatively short intervals for the layers of cabled wire. Fig. 3 showsthe cable bent in a short radius, the longitudinal curvature of theblocks determining the degree of abruptness of the bending. It will beapparent that by decreasing the radius of the arc of the longitudinalcurvature of the blocks that the flexibility of the conductor may beincreased, and vice versa.

Instead of the blocks 2 being made solid as above described. they mavwhen made of metal or glass, each be hollow with fairly thick walls soas to be rigid as shown in Fig. 5 and may be provided with an axialaperture, and when thus constructed may be st rung upon a wire or otherflexible member 10 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. the blocks being indicatedin these figures at 2', and the two layersof wire at 4' and ti. Thislatter con- Struction provides a lighter core and a simple means ofassembling the rigid blocks and holding them in position during thecabling operations.

As will be evident to those ski led in the art, my invention permits ofvarious modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or thescope of the appended claims.

W'hatI claim is:

1. A cable constituting an electrical eonductor for high tens-iontransmission lines having, in combination, a core-comprising a pluralityof short rigid members arranged end. to end, and contacting wires ofhigh electrical conductivity arranged spirally and side by side aboutsaid members.

2. A cable constituting an electrical conductor for high tensiontransmission lines .hauing, in combination. a core comprising aplurality of short. substantially cylindrical members arranged endwiseand contacting wires arranged spirally and side by side about saidmembers and of high electrical conductivity.

3. A cable constituting an electrical conductor for high tensiontransmission lines :131. in minimization. a core comprising a pluralityoi members arranged endwise and each having its exterior surfacesubstantiallv 'J .ili.tll'i(':!i and curved longitudinally in an havingits center in a plane substantially .i light angles to the axis of themember extending substantially through the center thereof and contactingwires wound spirally there n.

1'. A cable constituting an electrical condurtmfor high tensiontransmission lines having, in combination, a core comprising amin-aheaof barrel-shaped members arranged end to end, and contactingwires arranged spiraliy about said members and of high elect calconductivity.

it A cable constituting an electrical condu.-,-t -r for high tensiontransmission lines havii in con'iliination, a core comprising aplurality of members having axial apertures, and a flexible member uponwhich said memhers are strung, and contacting Wires o'f'liigh electricaiconductivit arranged-spirally side hr side and surrounding said members.

(3. A eabie constituting an electrical coudurtoifor high tensiontransmission lines having in combination, a core comprising a pluralityof short substantially cylindrical members having their ends taperingand arranged end to end,.-and contacting Wiresarranged spirally aboutsaid members and of high electrical conductivity, v 1

JAMES ROBERT COE.

